When We Flew Away

By Alice Hoffman,

Book cover of When We Flew Away

Book description

Bestselling author Alice Hoffman delivers a stunning novel about one of contemporary history's most acclaimed figures, exploring the little-known details of Anne Frank's life before she went into hiding.

Anne Frank's The Diary of a Young Girl has captivated and inspired readers for decades. Published posthumously by her bereaved father,…

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Why read it?

1 author picked When We Flew Away as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Here, one of my favorite authors, Alice Hoffman, uses her classic magical realism in a very gentle way as she gives voice to Ann Frank's young years, leading up to the point when the Franks go into hiding from the Nazi regime in the Netherlands. You can feel the noose tightening as the Nazis take away one freedom after another and pile indignity upon indignity. Even knowing how the story ends, the reader is constantly on edge, wanting Ann's family to get the hell out of Dodge before it's too late. As the tension mounts, you see how Ann becomes…

A Theory of Expanded Love

By Caitlin Hicks,

Book cover of A Theory of Expanded Love

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Why am I passionate about this?

My life and work have been profoundly affected by the central circumstance of my existence: I was born into a very large military Catholic family in the United States of America. As a child surrounded by many others in the 60s, I wrote, performed, and directed family plays with my numerous brothers and sisters. Although I fell in love with a Canadian and moved to Canada, my family of origin still exerts considerable personal influence. My central struggle, coming from that place of chaos, order, and conformity, is to have the courage to live an authentic life based on my own experience of connectedness and individuality, to speak and be heard. 

Caitlin's book list on coming-of-age books that explore belonging, identity, family, and beat with an emotional and/or humorous pulse

What is my book about?

Trapped in her enormous, devout Catholic family in 1963, Annie creates a hilarious campaign of lies when the pope dies and their family friend, Cardinal Stefanucci, is unexpectedly on the shortlist to be elected the first American pope.

Driven to elevate her family to the holiest of holy rollers in the parish, Annie is tortured by her own dishonesty. But when “The Hands” visits her in her bed and when her sister finds herself facing a scandal, Annie discovers her parents will do almost anything to uphold their reputation and keep their secrets safe. 

Questioning all she has believed and…

A Theory of Expanded Love

By Caitlin Hicks,


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